Rating: 
Summary: Best war story i have every read
Review: I read SSN it was written by Tom Clancy. It is a war novel. I really liked this book because it had action around every corner.
This book is about the Chinese invading the oil-rich Spratly Islands. America doesn't want this to happen so they try to stop them. It is mostly about one submarine SSN Cheyenne. She takes on most tasks that it would normally take at least two submarines. She takes out convoys and enemy battle groups. Her captian is Mack. Her most reliable friend is McKee. McKee is a ship that reloads all weapons aboard Cheyenne. One of the best parts is when Cheyenne took on seven submarines, three Kilos, two Akulas, and two Remos. She won the battle with amazing speed. Every shot hit its mark. The enemy couldn't even make a snapshot. They knew they were doomed when she started to fire.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes war and submarines. This is a good book. So read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Reads like a computer game
Review: Tom Clancy says in the intro that this book is based on a computer game. This may explain why the book is so unrealistic in the fact that the Cheyenne is able to complete every mission without any hitches at all - it's like a computer game: you get 3 lives, after which you must press a button to get another 3 lives...While it might give you an insight into the various classes of submarines, it won't help your understanding of the Spratly Island conflict. Here's what the BBC has to say about the Spratly Islands: "War in the Spratlys ... would also put pressure on the US to intervene, as it has defence guarantees and treaties with a number of the claimants. It would be reluctant to do so.
In 1995 the US naval war college ran a series of computer war games simulating a conflict with China over the South China Sea. In every case Chinese forces won the day." So Tom Clancy's submarine wiping out the entire Chinese navy doesn't seem too realistic does it? Sorry Tom, only 1 star due to the lack of realism. If I wanted a shakedown on the different types of submarine available, I would have bought a guide to submarines rather than this poor excuse for a novel.
Rating:
Summary: Ummmmmm....Yeah
Review: Since I did not complete this "book" (if it is even worthy of that title), I will not make an extensive review. Overall note: DON'T TOUCH THIS FOUL THING EVEN IF SOMEONE AIMED A GUN AT YOUR HEAD!!!!! This repetetive foul piece of liturature not only doesn't have deep characters: It's bloody confusing! I hated this book. So therefore my word to you is to leave this thing where it belongs: the trash.
Rating: 
Summary: I love Clancy books. This is not a Clancy book.
Review: At least, it's not a typical Clancy book. Prospective purchasers should know that this is a "novelization" of the Tom Clancy: SSN computer game. As a book, it falls somewhere between his imaginative and intricate fictional works, such as Hunt for Red October and Rainbow Six, and his non-fictional studies of various military units. I love both, but SSN does not measure up to either type of previous work. As a novel, it dispenses with characterization altogether, and the plot, such as it is, is merely a recitation of battle after battle, with very little depth or complexity. (Lack of "depth" in a submarine novel -- now that takes talent!) The book fares better as a study of submarine operations, and yet it still falls short of Clancy's capabilities. Even the author's fictional works do a better job of explaining procedures and terms. By the 200th time you read "Make tubes 1 and 2 ready in all respects, including opening the outer doors," you'll wish this book were being shot out with the torpedos. In short, the book reads like a video game -- one that you're watching someone else play. If you want the involvement, if you want to be caught up in the action, then skip the book and buy the actual game.
Rating:
Summary: Ummmmmm....Yeah
Review: Since I did not complete this "book" (if it is even worthy of that title), I will not make an extensive review. Overall note: DON'T TOUCH THIS FOUL THING EVEN IF SOMEONE AIMED A GUN AT YOUR HEAD!!!!! This repetetive foul piece of liturature not only doesn't have deep characters: It's bloody confusing! I hated this book. So therefore my word to you is to leave this thing where it belongs: the trash.
Rating:
Summary: SSN: an explosive novel
Review: SSN: An explosive novel
"At Zhanjiang Naval Base in southern China, a massive force of over 60 ships and submarines was being readied. Their mission was simple: Destroy the American aircraft carrier and her entire battle group." This passage from Tom Clancy and Martin Greenberg's SSN is truly incredible, and is the same type of action seen through the whole book, and most of Clancy's books. The purpose of this book is to entertain, and does it well. The action is continuous throughout the book, and the way they explain the setting and how the characters talk make the reader feel like they are really right there in the action.
The book is about the SSN Cheyenne and her crew, with Bartholomew Mackey as captain. The reader follows along with Cheyenne and her crew, as she takes down submarine after submarine and ship after ship. It's amazing to see how Cheyenne's crew comes from an inexperienced crew to the best submarine crew that the US has to offer.
"Very well," Mack replied, "Come to periscope depth." "Come to periscope depth, aye sir, sonar, radio, conn, proceeding to periscope depth." This is the language style throughout the book. Because the characters speak this way, it gives the reader the idea that they are really in the submarine right with Mack and the crew.
The Characters in the book are Cheyenne's crew, and the crews of the Chinese subs. It seems like throughout the book something is expected to happen, but then something gets in the way like a new ship or just the land around them, so it's always interesting and exciting.
The setting plays a major role in this book. Sometimes Cheyenne could be so deep it could be totally unnoticed, but other times if one thing went wrong the sub would hit the bottom of the ocean, or show itself by going above the water.
The plot of the book is pretty straight forward making it easy to follow. Throughout the book it is all action most of the time, so the reader would think the whole book is the climax, but then it gets even more exciting and action-filled, so this part of the book could be called the super-climax.
Throughout the book all these elements make it exciting and never dull. The book deserves a 4½ star rating, because although the book is really good it never gave enough background about the crew. Other than that the book is great, and is not one to pass up.
Rating:
Summary: Details and Details
Review: In this book, the descriptions of objectives, its sense of realism, and strategic thinking made this book fast paced and easy to follow. The drama was very good and it is a geologically correct setting, I can't see why a "Chreme Puufed Doughnut" can't be a relaxing break from other books.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a cream-filled donut
Review: It appeals to you while reading it and you might even gobble it quickly, but nausea comes soon after you're done. plot -- nope
character development -- nosirree
realistic action -- ix-nay
reasonable denouement -- non It's sad to watch Clancy devolve into Don Pendleton.
Rating:
Summary: This is bad...
Review: There wasn't anything redeeming about this book at all. It was like reading the action sequences in a movie script (a bad movie script). Why would Clancy publish a book that's this thin on story? Does he still write, or is he a brand name now?
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I've not read much of Tom Clancy's work, but based on what little I have read, I held out much hope for this book. It definitely did not deliver.While the action "scenes" were quite fun, they were also rather repetitive. There was very little plot, and no character development. The end result is a story that is about as believable as a Rambo movie. I very seriously doubt that the entire Chinese navy, which was being constantly augmented with Soviet boats and crews, could be eliminated by a single sub. I don't buy it, and neither should you.
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